Get ready for a treat. It is with great pleasure that we introduce a new Panama offering to our customers: Esmeralda Especial. This coffee is from the world renowned Hacienda La Esmeralda, which has won top honors in the Best of Panama coffee competition for the past four consecutive years and set a world record of $130.00 per pound (green) at auction earlier this year.

Esmeralda Especial has truly become the world's most famous coffee -- the Best of Panama 2007 Auction Lot #1 winner which took top honors with a score of 95.26 and sold at auction for a record $130 per pound! In addition to a string of 1st place Best of Panama victories, it also placed first in the Specialty Coffee Association of America's Cupping Pavilion the last three years (2005-2007) and the Rainforest Alliance Cupping for Quality in 2004, 2006 and 2007. This is an opportunity to purchase something rare. The entire auction lot was only 500 pounds and was split between us and 7 companies, one of which was our own home roasting venture Roastmasters.com. But beyond the small auction lot, the farm privately sells the balance of its small, 150 bag output to a handleful of elite coffee roasters including Willoughby's.

Award night in Panama with The Peterson's of Hacienda La Esmeralda. Clockwise: Bob Williams, Price, Rachel and Susan Peterson, Barry Levine, Daniel Peterson.

 Kenneth Davids in his just released November 2007 Coffee Review of our particular lot of Esmeralda wrote: "This lot of Gesha is from the same fields, crop and variety as the record-breaking auction lot but was sold outside auction. With its bold, boat-shaped beans and distinctive floral and chocolate cup, the Esmeralda Panama Gesha continues one of the world’s most unique coffees". He gave our coffee a rating of 94.

The coffee is grown on the Hacienda La Esmeralda, located on the slopes of Mount Baru in western Panama near Boquete. It is grown from the geisha varietal at an altitude of over 5400 feet above sea level. Geisha is an heirloom cultivar of Ethiopian origin, which took root in Panama mid 20th Century. Soil and climate conditions in Panama are well suited to geisha; this cultivar is a major factor in Esmeralda's cup quality. The other major factor is the level of care and attention to detail given the coffee by the farm's owners, the family of Price Peterson. In addition to the level of excellence in the coffee's growth, harvest and preparation, the Peterson's care deeply for the people who work on the farm, paying premium wages and providing medical and dental care and a nursery for the young ones. The coffee is washed and is Certified Rainforest Alliance. We were competition judges and one of our colleagues gave this coffee a perfect 100 score, saying, "There was absolutely no category where I could take away anything. The coffee was perfect".

Hacienda La Esmeralda produces about 150 bags of Esmeralda Especial in any given year, sometimes less. While expensive, this coffee is hard to get, very limited and delicious. It's Ethiopian roots are apparent but so are the unique, floral jasmine and citrus flavors and aromas.

Panama Esmeralda Especial will only be available for a very limited time.

Cup Characteristics: This truly unique coffee is powerfully aromatic with notable jasmine fragrance. Orange-like citrus and blueberry flavor notes. Very bright, sweet, balanced acidity. Exotic, intense. When properly roasted the scent of this coffee is instantly recognizable.

Ken Davids' cupping notes: Sweet-toned, quietly intense aroma: jasmine, sweet citrus, cocoa. In the cup the mouthfeel is silky, almost syrupy, the acidity intense but delicate with shimmers of white wine. Orange, lemon, cocoaish chocolate, floral notes. Long, deep, flavor-saturated finish.